Monday, July 5, 2010

Ain't THAT a Kick in the...

Conservatives aren't SUPPOSED to like the World Cup, but I've never had a problem with the game of soccer itself. That's what a father who was born and raised in Europe and a brother who played college and professional soccer will do for you. The game gets a bit dull at times, and the constant diving (Nicky and I call it "flailing") is irritating, but it's very easy to "get into" the World Cup -- far easier than the Olympics. The haphazard administration of the game -- constantly veering between chaos and tyranny -- is another matter. Why is soccer refereeing so inconsistent and, at times, downright incompetent? Why is it so difficult to make use of instant replay for goal decisions, at the very least? Why do soccer officials always give off an unmistakable air of supercilious arrogance? This must be what being ruled by the UN would be like... or at least the European Union.

For the Final, I'll take my cue from the Disney comics world and pick Germany and the Netherlands to beat Spain and Uruguay, respectively. Then, the Dutch break their duck (pun sort of intended) and beat Germany to win the Cup for the first time.

I never really got into soccer until this World Cup, but I quickly fell in love with it. I'm still a big fan of American football and a moderate fan of baseball, but I've gotta say, at this point I think I might like soccer most of all. At its best, it's simply mesmerizing, especially once you've watched enough to appreciate the subtleties of the game and the skills required.

Some conservative commentators have a track record of antipathy towards both soccer and the World Cup. (Michael Medved for instance; he's also not too crazy about the Olympics due to the huge expense, disruption, and so forth). Some liberal commentators decided to jump on this this year and create "The Right-wing War on Soccer." It's a tempest in a teapot, really.